Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Preseason Monday September 29

Monday night featured 4 more NHL exhibition games. Now is the time of year that coaching staffs league-wide try to find the chemistry that could define their entire season. Former Islanders are almost everywhere in the NHL. FIs were major players in 3 of the night's competitions. Here is a look at what they accomplished:

Columbus forward Michael Peca assisted on his team's 3rd goal as the Blue Jackets thumped the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 7-1. The helper was Peca's first point of the preseason and came on Raffi Torres' lone goal. Torres, a fellow FI, will miss the next 6 weeks or so after separating his shoulder in a scrap with Chicago enforcer Ben Eager.

New Jersey backup Kevin Weekes fell to 1-2-0 on the preseason after stopping 23 of 26 shots in the Devils' 3-2 loss to the visiting Washington Capitals. Weekes played the entire game but did not get enough goal support to secure a win. Weekes definitely looks like he has the edge in the battle for backup between himself and born-again Devils goaltender Scott Clemmensen. The sad part is that the 4 games Weekes has already played in this preseason is probably more than he will play in during the entire 2008-09 campaign.

Center Olli Jokinen has made his first offensive impact as a Phoenix Coyote by assisting on sophomore winger Peter Mueller's 3rd goal of the game. The Coyotes thrashed the visiting San Jose Sharks 5-1. Many expect O-Jok to be centering a top line in which he will be flanked by heart-and-soul of the franchise right wing Shane Doan and the potential super-soph Mueller. We look forward to seeing this potentially dynamic unit play.